Improvement in the manufacture of metal tubes and columns



FREDERICK H.3MITH. MANUFACTURE OF COLUMNS,

AND TUBES.

PATENTED FEB 21 1871 FIGJ.

FIB.2.

dished $13M FREDERICK ll. SMITH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

Letters Patent No. 112,084, dated February 21, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN TH MANUFACTURE OF METAL TUBES AND COLUMNS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and aking part of the lame.

To whom it'm ay concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. SMITH, of the city and county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of, Columns and Tubes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to produce a solid rolled column or tube of iron or other malleable metal from one-piece or sheet, or from two or more properly-curved or shaped longitudinal segments or bars, which, when put together, will constitute a column of the desired shape and conformation The invention consists in the manufacture or production of such solid rolled metallic column bypass ingthc piece, or the segments which compose the column, properly shaped and put together, between pressure-rolls,and bringing the contiguous edges-of said piece or segmeuts to a welding heat by. blowpipe, or' -gas-jets, or other suitable heating devices,

applied to or playing in or upon the scams or joints in advance of and. also at the'immediate 'point of application of the roll-pressure, whereby, as the edges soften under the heat, the seams will close the more, tightly, and the contiguous edges will finally be welded together unden the roll-pressure.

, In the accompanying drawing I have represented the manner in which my invention is or may be carried into efiect.

Figure l is a side elevation of an apparatus adapted to form: thel-columuby the applieation of welding heat and-pressure to the segments of the,

column.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same. The/ column or tube may be made of rollediron, steel, copper, or other malleable metal, and may have any "suitable or desired. shape in-cross-sectiomand may be formed of onc,piece,or of two or'more longi tu'd'inal bars or segments. 1

"*Iuthejpresent instance I have l'QIJI'GSCL-uitl a cylindrical, meats, a.

In order tov unite these segments so as to produce asolid column, I make use of a series of pressure rolls, 1), arranged'in a suitable frame-work, a, so as to tubular column, composed of four seg.

' graspahd press the columnon all sides, the peripli'-. cries of thefrollers bein'gshaped to conform with theshape of the rcspeotivc segmcnts with which they are i to be brought in contact. l

; lIn advance vof the point where-the column-enters between tlioflmllsar' placed gasor blowpipo jets, d, orothcrdevices, so arranged-as to heat. from one to ten inchcsamn'oximately in length of the seams just before such; heated portion passes mo e rolls The gas employed for'heating maybeof ,,a1iy suit able-composition, such, for instance, as the oxyhydro gen'flame, 850.

The intensity of theheat used will, of course, uetermiue the speed at which the column should pass through the rolls.

The jets or lother heating devices are arranged so that one'or more'shall be opposite each seam or joint; and they may be placed externally, as shown at (1, 01 internallyjas shown at d, or both externally and internally.

The feed of the column between the rolls may be caused by the pressure-rolls themselves, which, in such case,fwonldreceive a positive motion from some suitable source, or by other and'distinet feeding de- When the segments a are placed together prior to their; passage between the rolls, they are, of course, a little sepamted from one another, as a close joint cannotfbe made with ordinary rolled-edge irom; But, when they are passing through the rolls, with th gas-jets playing upon thejoints, the seams clos tighter and tighter as the edges soften under the heat, and the pressure of the rolls comes nearer, un-

til, finally, the segments arewelded together under the roll-pressure,;-with the 'gas still -playiu between the rolls upon the seams'at the very instant of the greatestp fessnre.

A welding-mixture can be-nsedin the joints, .if de-, Sll'fid.

- If it should happen vthat the pressure of the rolls 7 causes the joints, .in some instances, to be displaced, a supporting-disk or mandrel, or other'suitable means,- may be arranged within-the column, so as'to support it at the point or roll pressure.

meats in-the grasp of the rolls.

As, above intimated, the columncan be made, if desired, of but. one picce'or st1ip, which, having been-bent into cylindrical or'other shape by suitable means, .is made into a solid column. by the process of uniting its contiguous edges, as before described.

The machine can be'madeadjustable, so that,by" changing the rolls in the frame .or housing o, anysize or shape of columumay-be produced. I In case the segments areof such form as to make:

the completed column larger in the middle than at the fiends, or'vice oersa, as is more frequently the case in square columns, the rolls should have imparted to them,

b y suitable means, an openingand-closing motion, so

' Or flanges may be formed, either insidejor outside, upon the segments,

at their edges,'so astothicken up and strengthen the joints in thin columns, and. also to steady the mg 01: it may be found desirable to roll the segments with beveled or tongued I and grooved edges, to prevent them from slipping while welding.

as to conform to the varying sectional area of the The manufacture or metallic columns and tubes, column. substantially in the manner herein shown and dc It will be, of course, understood that the columns scribed. can be made round, square, or any other form of sec- In. testimony whereof I have signed my name to tio'n, this specification before two subscribing witnesses. Having now described my invention, and the man- FREDERICK H; SMITH. ner in which the same is, or may be carricdinto efi'ect, Witnesses What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters NEWTON M. GRAY, Patent, is- MICHAEL H. CARROLL 

